title: Relationship between radiotherapy and gastroesophageal reflux disease in causing tracheoesophageal voice rehabilitation failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to analyze the association of radiotherapy with gastroesophageal reflux as determinant of fistula related pathology, in voice prosthesis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one laryngectomy patients were enrolled between 2005 and 2012. All patients underwent phonatory rehabilitation with voice prosthesis, along with evidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, for which proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were prescribed. We analyzed the occurrence of fistula-related problems among patients who received postoperative radiotherapy and those patients who did not.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a higher rate of failure of speech rehabilitation in laryngectomy patients with gastroesphageal reflux: this occurred when they had a history of postoperative radiotherapy (45%) compared with patients who did not (17%) (P < 0.05), although all patients were treated with PPIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results seem to confirm the importance of postoperative radiotherapy with gastroesophageal reflux for the determinism of fistula-related problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Surgical Specialties, ENT Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. Electronic address: salvatorecoc@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cocuzza
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Surgical Specialties, ENT Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonfiglio
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Surgical Specialties, ENT Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chiaramonte
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Surgical Specialties, ENT Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007831:Larynx, Artificial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011677:Punctures; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013071:Speech, Alaryngeal; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014833:Voice Quality; D014834:Voice Training
chemical_list: D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors
keywords: Adjuvant radiotherapy; Alaryngeal speech; Gastroesophageal reflux disease; Laryngeal prosthesis; Laryngectomy